Wasurenai Kara (Because I Won't Forget)
by Midnight-Ophelia
Summary: Eleven years is just a blink of the eyes for a vampire, but eleven years is a lot of lost time to repair. Neither one of them expect everything to back to the way things used to be, but Sho and Kei are at least willing to try.


**Notes:** I've been wanting to write something for Moon Child for a long time (eight years to be precise) and only recently did I feel like my writing was up to par for the sorts of projects I wanted to do for this fandom.

Now this one-shot is mostly just a breather thing for me to work on as I take a break from writing Tsugomori, my main project that is roughly going to be 27-28 chapters long is more than half-way finished. I've always felt mixed over the ending for the movie and after reading countless 'what-ifs', I decided that I wanted to write one of my own. It's a little bit shameless with it's mix of angst/comfort, fluff, and romance.

But hey, after working on something like Tsugomori off and on since July of last year, I feel like I deserved a little shamelessness.

**And now for the necessary disclaimer:** I own nothing except the wistful thinking that these two survived and lived happily post-film.

* * *

_"'I hope time stops like this,'  
I wished with my simple words  
No matter how much I gaze at you  
Because I won't forget you smiling at me  
Like you did back then..."_

* * *

"Can I ask you something?"

Kei doesn't wait for an answer, sending a sideways glance over to Sho. "That day, if we had made it, would we have done the same to Yi-Che?"

"I don't know," Sho answers honestly, "but I'm glad we didn't. Now."

Kei is quiet as he mulls over Sho's words.

It's been eleven years since they'd seen each other face to face, eleven years since Sho had run off, unable to come to terms with the thing he had become. It's not an easy conversation as old wounds are torn open once more, but Kei is still happy to see Sho again, no matter how bittersweet the meeting might be.

"What will you do now?" Kei asks, needing to know. Would Sho move on again somewhere? Was the only reason he'd even come was to look upon his little girl all grown up?

"I really hadn't thought about it," Sho admits with a small shrug. "I'm just trying to pick up all these pieces. I've had eleven years to come to terms with what I am, with this way of living. Although, I'd hardly call it living having to feed from the blood of mortals. I've even considered killing myself."

"Sho..."

Sho lets out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. It's at odds with his impassive mask. "You've been around for a long time as this, and you're still here. I'm weak compared to you."

"No," Kei retorts sharply. "I'm selfish."

Kei knows he had turned Sho out of his own selfishness, his own inability to be alone without him. After Luka's death, he'd been alone for fourteen years and those years had been some of the most depressing years of his life. But those were nothing compared to the nine and then eleven years without Sho's constant presence. And those eleven years alone had been brought on by his own hand. Some would say it was karma.

Vampires aren't meant to be alone for too long; they need a companion. Too many years alone will leech away at their minds and their humanity. It will inevitably led to it being switched off all together to avoid the pain of loneliness and what followed that is hardly pleasant.

Looking at Sho's face, it is clear that his time alone hasn't been kind to him either.

As the two of them sit there, quietly, for a long time, it becomes obvious that they don't have much time before the sun will rise. Decisions need to be made.

Sho thinks over everything that they had discussed. Does he want to really continue with this way of life, or does he want to end it? He knows deep down that if he makes the request to Kei, the blond would agree to it. But did he want to? One look over at his friend tells him everything he needs to know. Living might not be so bad with Kei. He'd spent eleven years alone, angry and bitter because of what had been done to him.

It had immensely hurt that Kei had hated being a vampire so much that despite Sho's begging and pleading, he'd denied changing Yi-Che, and yet he had done it to Sho. The hypocrisy of Kei's actions had infuriated Sho at the time, but now he does not have the energy to remain upset and after so many years, he has had the time to think things over. Yi-Che wouldn't have wanted it; this life of blood and death did not suit her.

Sho knows he needs to move on from this.

"Where do we go from here?" he asks, breaking the long standing silence, and asking the question they both were wondering. "I don't even have anywhere to stay."

"Actually, you do," Kei informs him. "After you left, I bought back our old place. It didn't feel right for me to stay at your home. Besides, although you didn't tell me, I found my things in storage. After Yi-Che…I returned the favor."

"Thank-you," Sho smiles faintly.

The action is one he rarely does anymore. There's very little to smile about these days. Nonetheless he does it for Kei; because it's Kei and because he's genuinely grateful for him to take Sho into consideration. It occurs to him that Kei used to smile the same way.

The two of them take Sho's convertible back the short distance to the old place, and the nostalgia hits Sho like a punch to the chest. The inside looks much like it always has. Every little imperfection is where it has been, the same furniture occupying the front room, hell everything even smelt the same -although the scents are stronger with a vampire's sense of smell-. Sho hadn't even realized he'd missed the apartment until he was standing in it again. It feels like a true homecoming.

Kei stands quietly beside him, waiting for some sort of reaction. He's staring at Sho with the same patience as always, but there's uncertainty in his eyes, and Sho puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. It takes a moment, but Kei eventually relaxes under his touch. He still looks uncertain, yet, and shifts away from Sho when the younger man doesn't remove his hand quickly enough.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Kei tells him, awkwardly looking to the small amount of clutter and the fine layer of dust that covers the apartment's various tables. "I don't clean as often as I should."

Sho isn't worried about it; the place was never extraordinarily clean even twenty years ago.

Twenty years, had it really been that long? Time didn't pass at a normal rate for their kind; it was like a blink and years could pass by. Sho wasn't so young anymore, but his face remains looking 31, showing none of those passing years since Kei changed him back in that decaying old building.

Kei walks over to the well-worn lounge and sits down, the leather creaking under his slight weight and his fingers sliding over it.

It feels odd having Sho back in his life, Kei thinks absently, but not a bad odd. He watches Sho's expressions, his little movements, as he walks around the living area and inspects objects wistfully. Kei has missed this, missed Sho's presence. It's like having a hole that had been in his heart filled. He doesn't expect things to go back to exactly as they had been, too much has changed, but it's a very good start towards healing. At the very least Sho doesn't hate him. It's more than Kei could have asked for.

"If you feel up for it we can get your things tomorrow," Kei says to fill the silence that had descended again. "Your room is still here."

"Oh okay," Sho replies. He turns back to Kei and gives him another fragile smile. "That would be nice."

Kei would like to see one of Sho's old, bright smiles, again. These new ones hurt.

It's not long after that Sho disappears into his room for the rest of the night and the following day. Kei doesn't sleep.

* * *

A month passes quickly for the two vampires as they attempt to regain some sort of normality in their lives.

These days aren't easy as Sho is prone to brooding fits no matter how hard he tries to move on, and he spends most of his time in his room alone. He thinks about Yi-Che and the daughter he never got to see grow up to be a beautiful young woman who so resembled her mother. He wonders from time to time how Hana is doing with her schooling and how long it will be before he starts to see her paintings in galleries around Mallepa.

When Sho isn't in his room, he's out trying to rebuild his gang, taking back areas that had been occupied by rivals. This had actually been Kei's idea, a way for Sho to further regain his sense of normality. It does help, but Sho can't go out during the day and that raises questions in his men. He's aware that he'll eventually have to tell them the truth of what he is; not only because of that, but because of how he doesn't age like he should and why getting shot doesn't prove to be fatal. Some days he wonders if it's worth all the trouble, but sticks with it because he knows nothing else.

Kei works with Sho sometimes, occasionally coming with him to what had once been his brother's bar. It still functions as a front for the gang as well as an actual establishment, run by a trustworthy ally. Sho doesn't say it out loud, but he's glad when Kei joins him; it numbs some of the loss and the memories he didn't want to think about.

It takes a while, but things are slowly starting to become rituals and things start to become easier to cope with.

One thing hasn't on the other hand and that's the feeding.

Sho hates the days he's forced to hunt for prey. He hates how he knows exactly where to bite so that the blood doesn't spray out too quickly and make a mess. Mostly he hates how much his body responds to the taste as it warms its way down his throat to settle in his stomach, a groan slipping past his lips that are pressed against a man's neck, fangs tearing away at cooling flesh.

Those are the days that Sho is especially broody.

Kei gives him plenty of space after feedings, sticking to his spot on the lounge and letting Sho wander listlessly from room to room without comment. He knows from experience how hard it is.

Sometimes, when it's not one of these days, they fall into a different sort of routine. They drive to the beach and sit in the sand, watching the waves lap at the shore and talk about good times with old friends. It's not easy, but it helps with the healing. Both Kei and Sho know this and that it's something that needs to be done.

Kei is always watching for warning signs with Sho in case he might have stepped over some personal boundary. So far, Sho's mannerisms are not so different from his younger self, although they are more subdued, and Kei has a sense of relief to know that there are some things that are the same. He doesn't expect Sho to act like a child; he just wants a glimmer of some former happiness and familiarity, if nothing else.

It was a promising day, then, some weeks after their reunion, when Kei finds himself lounging at home, waiting patiently for Sho to finish his shower. When he hears the door open, Kei looks over the book he'd been reading to see a shirtless Sho tugging at his braids with an irritated look on his face exiting the bathroom. His normally slicked back fringe has fallen into his blue eyes, making him look even more boyish than usual.

"What's wrong?" Kei asks, sitting up and setting his book down.

"These need redone," Sho bemoans, giving the braids another tug. "They're a mess."

"How in the world did you manage them before without me?" Kei pats the empty space beside himself. "Come here."

Sho hesitates for a moment before he comes over and sits down beside Kei, looking embarrassed with pink on his cheeks. He shifts in his seat, hands folded in his lap as Kei moves to sit behind him to get at a better angle.

This was something they used to do, and Kei remembers when Sho first started growing his hair out at the back, how proud he'd been when it was finally long enough to braid properly. He'd showed it off to anyone who'd pay attention, sometimes even to those who didn't. When Toshi had pulled at them the first time, to be funny, Sho had turned around and punched him hard enough in the arm that the boy had tumbled to the ground.

"Don't mess with these," Sho had said, standing over him, fuming and making sure that nothing was out of place. "Kei took a lot of time doing them."

Toshi never did try to pull them again and the braids had become Sho's signature look.

Kei is gentle as he undoes the hair ties holding the braids in place and combs skilled fingers through the wet strands in lieu of a comb. Sho is still as a marble statue as Kei takes on the task of separating and grouping parts. Intermittently, his fingers brush against Sho's neck and shoulders, and he watches goose bumps rise where they had been.

"Are you cold?" Kei inquires out of curiosity. Vampires' skin is quite sensitive to the touch. It was either that or he was cold, which would only happen if he was hungry.

Sho tenses and looking over his shoulder Kei can see him fidget. "I'm not."

Kei doesn't comment and keeps at his chore.

It takes the better part of an hour for the braids to be finished and their ends to be tied off. When that's done, Kei pulls them back into a ponytail at the nape of Sho's neck.

Sho stands up and shakes his head, sending the braids splaying. He gives Kei a smile, one of the brighter ones he has seen in some time. "Thank-you," he says.

"You're welcome," Kei responds, returning the smile. "Feel better?"

"I do." Sho rubs at his bicep, looking everywhere but at Kei's face.

Kei slides off the lounge and stands in front of Sho. "Are you okay? You look nervous?"

"What?" Sho asks, suddenly snapping to attention as if he hadn't heard him speak. "I'm okay."

Kei's eyes can't help but snap down briefly to Sho's chest from where he is standing. All the gunshot scars from the night he'd been changed are gone, but the scars from other times are still there. The scars don't really take away from Sho's good looks and tell a story of how he'd lived his life since childhood.

A rebel thought passes through Kei's mind and a part of him wants to trace his fingers over them.

He doesn't know why and he quickly walks away to get a glass of water, hiding his discomfort in the glass.

The look that passes over Kei's face doesn't go without notice and Sho sighs.

"I had somewhat hoped that these scars would go away too, but I guess it doesn't work like that." Sho watches Kei's face when the blond turns back to him. "Do you think they look bad?"

"Of course not." Kei quickly finishes his water. "I…like them."

"Oh." Kei likes the scars. Sho doesn't know how to really react to it.

This whole afternoon has him mildly confused, especially the braiding session.

He hadn't expected the jolt when Kei's fingers had touched his bare skin, and it wasn't a bad feeling. Sho had forgotten how sensitive everything was to their kind, all senses stronger than that of a human. He has gotten used to the smells and the feeling of water and weather. He had forgotten about flesh against flesh contact in a way that wasn't being used as a hunting method. Or maybe it's just Kei.

Sho has never said it out loud, but he'd always been a little bit attracted to him. There just never seemed to be a right time and place to say it to him, and then Yi-Che had come into his life. He loved his wife greatly and deeply and he had perused her in the only way a youthful boy can; stupidly and without any damn clue. With Kei it's different. Sho's always been too uncomfortable and too afraid to risk ruining their friendship.

But that was back before all the shit had happened.

It's just the two of them now and all the anger he'd had is gone. In its place is frightening amounts of uncertainty. Sho's told himself he was ready to move on but being forced to face things makes him want to hide himself away. He's emotionally stunted and he knows it. He's been alone for too long and he's forgotten how to be open.

Sho's just not sure what he wants to do.

* * *

A month turns into two months and things do gradually get better.

Sho smiles more, a little brighter as each day passes, emoting a little more bit by bit. He spends more time in the living area, sometimes listing to music on their little radio or reading. Every once in a while, Sho tries to cook something with varying results and when a dish doesn't turn out well, they order take-out. He's still prone to black moods but that isn't likely to really change, and they're less frequent. All in all it's progress Kei is happy to see.

One thing that that doesn't escape his notice, on the other hand, is how Sho both grows close and yet tries to put space between them. It's a little concerning. Kei has to ask himself if he's done something wrong. Has he stepped over the invisible boundary? Thinking back, he realizes that it started after the braiding session the month prior. Not that it prevents Sho from coming back every other week and having them redone so that he looks his best. After each time, Sho disappears for the rest of the evening. Kei can only wonder what causes it. But Sho is a walking conundrum and trying to figure out how his mind works would only lead to headaches and arguments. Kei isn't looking for arguments when everything is still weakened.

It's about halfway into July when some things get more complicated.

They're on their way back from a night walk when they have a run-in with a with a rival gang member, the man recognizing them easily with their very distinctive appearances, and the confrontation goes much like you'd expect. That is to say, not well.

The first mistake the man makes is trying to take them out from behind. The second is for the bullet to hit Kei. The third is him trying to intimidate Sho. The second one was the biggest mistake he could possibly make.

When Kei manages to pick himself off the sidewalk, he finds the shooter being held up via his neck by a very angry Sho in the nearest alley. Sho is growling Mandarin through his fangs and the man looks ready to practically piss himself in fright. He doesn't get that far. Seconds pass and Sho sinks his fangs into his neck, using one hand holding him up, the other covering his mouth to muffle the screams. Kei has to look away, feeling his own gums ache at the sight of blood.

There's a thump of the body hitting the ground a few minutes later, and as Sho comes over to his side, he's wiping the last of his meal off his lips with a look of disgust.

"You alright?" Sho questions.

Kei nods stiffly.

"How's your back?"

It takes a moment for the pain to remind him that there's a bullet lodged somewhere that's preventing his healing from taking full effect and the pain is mingling with the scent of freshly drawn blood.

"Sore," Kei deadpans.

It takes them a little longer than usual to get back to the apartment as Sho continues to fuss over Kei's well-being along the way, despite constant reassurances that it was nothing Kei couldn't handle. Kei rolls his eyes dramatically. He appreciates the concern, but it's not as if he hasn't had a bullet to the back before.

By the time they're inside, Sho is practically tugging his jacket off his shoulders.

"Let me look at it." He is still trying to get to the wound even with Kei swatting at his hands.

"It'll be fine, Sho," Kei grumbles, but is slipping his jacket off anyhow. It's going to cost money to get the bloodstains out of the damn thing. He laments losing another tank top though. Blood doesn't come out of white so easily. He slips that off too before Sho can tell him to do so.

"Lay down," Sho orders, using his mob boss voice and pointing at the chaise lounge. "I need to see the damage."

"There isn't any damage. The wound is closed already."

But there's still the bullet and there's no getting it past Sho. Kei lays down on his stomach with no further fuss as Sho looks it over, prodding his fingers up and down Kei's back. When he goes over one particular area, Kei can't prevent the hiss that leaves his mouth.

"You're a terrible liar," Sho scolds. Kei hears him sigh and add, "I'm going to have to cut it open again to get that out."

Kei groans into the leather, his response muffled. "Be gentle on me."

Sho pats his head sympathetically as he leaves to get what he needs for the impromptu surgery and the action reminds Kei of the days when their positions were reversed.

When Sho returns he's holding a sharp knife and a towel. Kei catches a glimpse of them and visibly cringes. Bullet removal is not on the list of pleasant experiences and he's not looking forward to the process. Would anyone enjoy having their skin cut open? Not anyone Kei can think of.

He tries to get his body to relax as Sho slides in between his legs and leans over to get a clear view of the area, but every nerve is alert. Kei can feel Sho's fingers running down his back and he presses his face into the crook of his arm so that the look on his face can't be seen. If it wasn't for the fact that a bullet is going to be dug out from his body, Kei would find the situation oddly sensual. The pads of Sho's fingers are slightly callused from use and it further adds to the sensation.

That is until the tip of the knife is cutting into Kei's back and the particular pleasure is replaced by pain. Kei bites into his arm hard enough to draw blood, squeezing his eyes shut, as the pain intensifies until, at last, the knife is gone. He lets the breath he'd been holding and shifts enough to look over his shoulder. There's a mess of blood covering his back and Sho is quickly trying to clean up it up as gently as he can.

"Leave it be, I'll just shower it off," Kei tries to insist. He sits up as quickly as he can manage, trying to turn over and disentangle his legs from around where Sho is sitting. They're very close and the air in the room is zinging with intensity and the scent of blood. Kei swallows. Sho hasn't stopped looking at him and his eyes are darkened and pupils dilated, hungry in nature, and, to be completely honest, it's slightly unsettling to be pinned under. "You're staring."

As soon as the words are out of Kei's mouth, Sho's lips are on his. The kiss is firm with a hint of aggression and possessiveness and Kei goes absolutely still under them as his mind whirls with confusion and a small amount of panic.

Is this actually happening?

Before Kei can respond with words or action, Sho has pulled away, something like hurt flashing over his features.

"I'm sorry," he mutters quickly and stands up, lips gone into a tight line. "I shouldn't have done that. I've made you uncomfortable."

"Sho, I-" Kei's reply is cut off as Sho disappears from the room entirely, the front door slamming shut the only signal that he'd gone through it.

Kei is uttering curses under his breath while he half stumbles to his room to grab a clean shirt and settles on his oversized white long sleeved one. He's still pulling it over his head when he's leaving the apartment, running down the stairs taking skipping two at a time. Sho couldn't have gotten that far in a minute or two. Sure enough Kei spots him turning a corner, white trench coat trailing behind his swift pace. Kei honestly has no idea what he's going to say when he catches up.

A part of him is irritated that Sho would just run off without a proper explanation for what's just happened or give him a moment to process. What is a kiss supposed to tell him? But the other half hopes that it means what it _might_ mean.

Kei can't lie that he's cared for Sho since the day he, as a child, had found him so defeated that he was ready to die in that beam of sunlight. Sho had saved him that day, and then saved him again when he had given up and was ready to be executed. By all accounts, Kei owes him his life. If the man asks it of him, the blond would willingly cut out his own heart and offer it to Sho on a silver platter. Kei loves him, deeply and unconditionally. He just never knew that Sho might have felt the same way.

After all, Sho had married Yi-Che and had a daughter with her and lived a good life for nine years without Kei, Kei who sees himself as a monster and an omen of death. He's the reason why so much had gone wrong. Why would anyone love him? Why would Sho?

Kei catches up with Sho on a deserted back street, grabbing his arm and swinging him around so that his back is against the stone wall of a building. "What the hell was that back there?"

Sho's face goes blank and his eyes narrow. "I don't know."

Kei moves closer, boxing him in. Sho is half a head taller than he is and longer limbed, but that height difference means nothing when he's still yet a child in the eyes of their kind. If he wanted to, Kei could easily take him in a fight. He taught him everything he knows, but that's not the intent. All he wants to know is why; he wants to hear them from Sho's own mouth and not going on the assumption that there might be something more.

"Can I go?" The question sounds oddly childish and at odds with Sho's appearance.

Kei isn't going to get any straight answers at this rate and so does the only thing that he can.

He pushes Sho against the wall with his body and then stands on his toes to reach his lips.

It's a heated kiss and filled with every ounce of love Kei can spill into it. He bites at Sho's bottom lip and grasps at the lapels of his coat like he's going to run again. Kei can feel a growl gathering in Sho's chest, but it's stopped by lips, tongues, and teeth. Sho is returning the kiss seconds later with equal strength, and hands entangle in Kei's hair, tugging his head back to further open his mouth. Eventually they have to pull away for air, and Sho's eyes are like the grey-blue of the stormy sea when Kei looks at them.

"Does that answer your question?" Sho's voice is low and husky and a shiver shoots down Kei's spine.

"It's a start." Kei is mildly surprised at how breathless his own voice sounds to his ears. The growing hardness between his legs is enough to alert him of the effect both of the kisses are having on him.

It's a little embarrassing to think of how long it's been since he's kissed or been kissed by anyone like that. While he was never exactly a prude, Kei isn't stupid enough to put a human at risk for the sake of getting off and his own kind are hard to come by. Sho is the first vampire he's been with in many, many years.

Sho breaks Kei's thought process. "Where do we go from here?"

"Up, I hope." Kei gives him a small smile and a little shrug. "We've only got up. We can't get any lower than we already were."

"So we're good then?" Sho looks hopeful. "You aren't upset with me?"

Kei can't help but chuckle and he stands tall enough to press a kiss to the corner of Sho's mouth. "Yes, we're good. Although, I think there's a bit we need to talk about."

"Good." And Sho is kissing him again, grabbing Kei by the upper arms and switching their positions so that now he's in control. Sho always did like to have the last word in things. He breaks the kiss for a moment, mouth moving to the shell of Kei's ear, and says, "That can wait."

Kei is in agreement, but unable to form words as his mouth goes dry. He lets out a shaky sigh as Sho kisses his way down to his neck and settles on his pulse point, biting the sensitive skin and sucking at it. He sticks a knee between Kei's legs, pressing it against his crotch, while his hands slide under flimsy white fabric, running nails over Kei's flat stomach and up to his chest where he takes one of his nipples between his fingers.

Sho can feel Kei's body trembling under him and pride sparks in his chest.

He was the one making Kei feel this way, has him making all these breathy sounds and his grey eyes fluttering shut in arousal. Sho's sense of smell can even pick up on it. Kei is normally so in control of his emotions and does everything so casually; there's only a few instances that Sho can recall of the blond truly losing himself and they aren't good memories. This is different; this is Kei reacting in pleasure, not anger or bloodlust or desperation. Sho didn't even know this side existed. He thinks he likes it.

Before they can get too much farther, while caught up in the surge of desires, Sho's ears catch onto the sounds of shoes on pavement. Kei must have too because he goes very still and he's looking towards the end of the street with wide eyes.

"We can't continue this here," Kei warns him, and he sounds vaguely annoyed at the notion of waiting any longer. "We might get caught."

"So what?" Sho retorts and he leans down to nip at Kei's earlobe. "I don't care if someone sees."

Kei laughs weakly. "Ah, but what if it's the authorities? I don't think they approve of this sort of thing."

"There are a lot of things they don't approve of." Sho brushes his fingers against Kei's nipples again, inciting a sharp gasp.

"Please, Sho…" Kei hisses, trying to regain his composure.

With a roll of his eyes, Sho reluctantly stops what he's doing and steps away, leaving Kei leaning bonelessly against the wall for support. "Fine, we'll wait then."

Not that he wants to.

* * *

And they do wait. And it feels like a painfully long wait.

The days after their rendezvous are busy as Sho loses a few men on a raid gone sour. He takes their loss hard even though they hadn't been close companions. Every man lost means there's a step back for his people and the loss of a father, brother, friend, husband, or a son.

Kei remains at his side throughout it all, trying to sooth Sho's anger and hurt.

After a particularly harrowing day, Sho finds himself lying down with his head resting in Kei's lap while the blond lightly strokes his hair. It's relaxing and exactly what he needs. Sho wonders how he would have gotten through all of this without him. Probably would have floundered like he did before and let his anger get the best of him.

"I wish it was possible to get drunk…" Sho sighs. He's never been big on using any substances, including alcohol, as a form of escapism, but he could have used at least a drink or two right about now. Unfortunately vampiric systems didn't allow for it. Just like food gave them no nutritional value; it could just taste good.

"I know," Kei replies, still stroking Sho's hair. "This isn't easy for you."

"It's not just that," Sho corrects. "Every time one of those men dies, I think of those he leaves behind. How many children grow up like Hana? How many of them never get to see their fathers again? I don't want that when I'm trying to make things better for them."

"Sho," Kei's hand still and he hears him exhale slowly, "they know what they get into when they do those jobs. They're sacrificing themselves for the betterment of this city. I don't want anyone to lose fathers, but it's their choice."

Sho understands where Kei is coming from, but he still glowers up at him. Kei has always been the voice of reason between the two of them and sometimes that reason comes off as overly harsh. It reminds Sho that he's very much younger than his friend. He doesn't know how to react to things like this. When he was a kid he'd argue back and forth with Kei for hours about something that in hindsight seems fairly ridiculous. Sho was always determined to win even if it resulted in a silent treatment. Those never lasted long as he hated upsetting Kei, even now he can't stay angry and Sho immediately deflates.

"What about you? Didn't you have a father?"

The reaction is subtle, but it's there. Kei pales a little, eyes lose a bit of their shine, and he shifts under Sho's head. "Yes, but he wasn't very reliable, nor particularly kind. I'm not sure I was what he expected when he had a son."

Sho never knew a whole lot about Kei's past; it never seemed that necessary to know. He knew that Kei had been sick when he was changed by Luka and had been from a fairly wealthy family, but not much more than that. Now it was easy to see that despite the money Kei might have been privy to, his home life appeared to have been fairly rough if this new information was anything to go by. Sho isn't sure he wanted to pry much farther than that.

"What do you mean," Sho asks, unable to stop himself from inquiring.

Kei's smile is tight and unhappy. "I'm unusual. My hair and eye color were not all that common when I was born. It caused me to stand out when my father was more into blending in. Ironically enough, these days I'm not nearly so strange."

"Oh," is all Sho can say. He's always liked Kei's hair and grey eyes. It seems odd that someone, let alone his father, would have disliked them so much. Sho guesses his easy acceptance of it was because of how diverse the population was around Mallepa.

Kei's smile relaxes and he goes back to stroking Sho's hair. "Don't look so sad. I don't think badly of him for the way things were. I know for a fact that he regretted the way he treated me after I became ill and after Luka changed me even if he never told me himself. Mother was very open about it when I spoke to her for the last time. She knew what I was, father did not."

It's still awkward and Sho still isn't sure what to say, so he goes quiet and starts to doze off with Kei's fingers playing in his hair. As he does he can hear Kei humming a familiar tune under his breath. Sho can still hear it even after he's fallen asleep.

When he wakes up later, he feels a little less stressed and a little more understanding about Kei.

* * *

It's at the tail end of July and rainy when it finally happens.

Both of them are soaking wet when they come back from feeding having got caught in the downpour and their hair and clothes stick to them in various places. Sho is muttering with irritation and slipping out of his coat and Kei is significantly more amused than he is, pushing his bangs out of his face. He doesn't expect Sho to be in the best of moods at any rate. He's almost certain the rain isn't helping that disposition any.

Sho is still fighting back shivers as he continues to strip out of his wet clothes, letting them fall on the floor with a splat sound as water puddles around them.

"I hate rain," Sho complains, finally stripped out of everything and not caring that Kei is getting quite the view. Nudity never bothered Sho.

"It's not so bad. It means we can go out during the day." Kei is removing his own clothes now, trying not to stare too much at Sho's form. "Besides, didn't you used to like it?"

"At one point in time…" Sho is rather shamelessly walking past Kei to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and returning to dry himself off. He's all long limbs and lean muscle; all of it unobscured by the clothing he normally wore. "Not so much anymore."

Kei understands why. They had lost Toshi on a rainy day like this. He can't blame Sho for not being overly fond of that weather anymore. Kei feels guilty that he's half the reason why that day had gone the way it had. He quickly tries to distract himself before his mood goes unpleasant directions too. "You should really pick up these clothes before they make more of a mess."

"Look who's talking." Sho pointedly looks at the small puddle of water that's gathering around his own. "You're just as messy."

"Ahh." Kei flushes and picks up everything he's taken off, hauling it off to hang in the shower stall to drip dry. While in there, he grabs a towel of his own out of the linen closet and starts to towel dry his hair. He becomes rather aware that Sho is watching him as he does. "What?"

Kei lets out an internal sigh as his back slams into a wall. If he was human, he'd have bruises up and down his spine from Sho's over-enthusiasm. They frequently find themselves in this position after their public display earlier in July. Sho's skin is sticky with humidity and his braids are damp on Kei's shoulders when he leans in to kiss him deeply, tongue creeping past Kei's lips and brushing against his. Kei wraps his arms around Sho's neck, bringing him lower and closer. The skin on skin feeling is nearly overwhelming.

Sho's fingertips ghost down Kei's ribs with feather light touches and stop at his hips to grasp them firmly. Kei sighs again into Sho's mouth and nibbles at his lip. Kei feels at peace, enjoying Sho's actions and closeness. He never wants this to end. He wants to taste him and feel him. The entire world just disappears. They aren't vampires or gangsters; they're simply them. Intimacy is strange to Kei, having spent his time avoiding it being what he is, but it's not so bad now.

Kei's eyes flutter when one of Sho's hands dips lower and begins to jerk him off; the other remains firm on his hip, making sure he doesn't try and move it. Kei groans and digs his nails into Sho's back, kissing him with a little more desperation. His hips try to buck as Sho's pace remains slow, but the hand on them does its job and all he can do is bite down onto Sho's lip to try and get his point across. He's turned on enough by now that his fangs have slid down and draw blood whenever the points meet skin. Sho laughs a little against his lips and Kei pulls away to look up at him with a frown.

"It's not funny," Kei protests, pouting childishly. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now?"

Sho laughs again and stops what he's doing. He's insufferable

"It's just that I never thought I'd see you like this," Sho explains, still chuckling. "You're gorgeous."

Kei's face went warm. Stop it. "O-oh…"

"And now you're blushing." Sho brushes his finger over the head of Kei's erection. "That's adorable."

"You…"

Kei wants to smack him. Hard. Only he can't really think at the moment, let alone move. Sho's a goddamn tease. Kei wants to take control as the aggressiveness that's at the core of vampire nature starts to make itself known. But every time he tries to do it, Sho does something to stop it. It's entirely useless and Kei is at his wits end.

This is made especially bad when Sho steps away with a look. "Stay here and don't do anything."

"What are you doing?" Kei's fingers twitch to go to himself. "And what if I do?"

Sho looks at him serious. "I'll punish you."

Kei gapes in disbelief for a moment. "Punish? Who should be punishing who here?"

Sho lightly kisses Kei's forehead. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Kei does wait and it's not a comfortable wait as his erection throbs between his legs. It's all but a minute that goes by before Sho returns with a small bottle. He waves it at him.

"I picked this up a bit ago. I figured it would come in handy." The bottle is filled with light colored oil that Kei doesn't have to take much of a guess to figure out what it is. Sho goes about fiddling with the bottle, opening it and pouring a little onto his fingers. The bottle gets set down onto a nearby table.

Kei watches with some amount of hunger as Sho rubs the oil onto his own erection. He doesn't miss the little shudder the taller man gives when he touches himself. Good to know Kei wasn't the only one being effected. However, he can't quite stop the startled sound he makes when he's unexpectedly lifted off his feet by Sho and pressed against the wall for support, arms hooked under his legs. Sho is examining his face intently for a reaction.

"You're very light."

"Thank-you, I think." Was that a compliment? Kei presumes it is. He looks at Sho curiously. "Are we going to do this right here?"

"I want to finish what we started. I don't think you'd be happy if I took you outside for this, so here will have to do."

Kei has to give him props for determination. "No, I probably wouldn't be."

Sho shifts his weight and adjusts himself before he slowly presses past Kei's entrance. They haven't done any preparation so he's careful not to move too quickly. They know that any damage done will heal, but Sho would feel badly for anything he does wrong. He kisses Kei affectionately, swallowing up the gasp he makes when Sho pushes in a little more. Kei's legs spasm all the way up to his hips and he's already pulling hard at Sho's hair, fingers entwining in his braids. When Sho moves into him completely, Kei's head snaps back and bangs into the wall behind him. Sho winces in empathy.

"Ouch." Kei rubs at head.

"Are you okay?" Sho asks, resting his forehead against Kei's.

"I'm fine…"

Sho nods and starts to move, and any discomfort Kei might have felt dissipated as he moans lowly, arms wrapping around Sho's neck and moving his head to rest it in the crook between it and his shoulders. He tries not to flinch when Kei's fangs find their way into his neck as well. It doesn't exactly hurt, the opposite in fact, but the memories of being changed are there as well.

Kei apparently realizes this and removes them. "Sorry."

Sho takes a breath and increases his pace. "No, it's fine. It doesn't feel bad."

Kei hesitates for a moment and then begins to suck at the area he'd bitten. Sho groans and grips Kei's legs, pace stuttering. Was getting bit supposed to feel good?

Sho's blood tastes good to Kei, its flavor lingering in his mouth as he laps at Sho's skin with his tongue and mixes with the taste of sweat. He's afraid at first he may have upset Sho by biting him, but the reassurance that he hasn't makes Kei feel a little more at ease.

Blood sharing is a bonding experience for vampire lovers, practically spiritual. Sex is something every species in the world does, in some form, but this is something strictly vampiric in nature. Something closer than sex.

Kei's back arches when Sho brushes against his prostrate, mouth dropping open, and he digs his nails hard into Sho's skin to leave crescent shaped marks in their wake that quickly heal shortly after they're made. Sho thrusts at the same angle, hitting it again. This time Kei lets out a yowl and he bites Sho again, much harder than before. He was already so close after Sho's teasing and now he feels like he's going to explode from the intensity of everything he's feeling.

Sho is speaking softly to him in raspy tones, urging him on, and Kei pulls back, revealing his own throat. When Sho in return makes bite to it, it's all Kei needs to come.

Sho follows him not long after and they both sit on the floor, Kei still in his lap, recuperating.

"How long?"

"Hmm?" Kei blinks drowsily at Sho's question, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how long have you loved me?" Sho clarifies.

"For a long time." Kei rests his forehead on Sho's shoulder, eyes closed. "For as long as I can remember. It has been there in some form or another."

"Where you upset that I married Yi-Che, then?" Sho sounds nervous through his own sleepiness.

Kei lifts his head to stare at Sho. "Of course not. You were good for one another. You loved her. I will never think badly of you for that. So don't feel any guilt."

"You know, I loved you since I was a kid. I just never realized that it was what it was until I was older." Sho strokes Kei's back and shoulders, tracing his fingers over the wings etched into his skin. "I was afraid to tell you earlier because I thought you wouldn't feel the same way. It's stupid, I know."

"And I would have likely told you I didn't if only to spare you from a dark fate." Kei smiles at him bitterly. "I guess it didn't make a difference."

"I'm okay, Kei, I am." Sho pulls him close to his chest. "I wouldn't have managed without you."

They sit in silence for a while, half dozing.

"I'm glad you chose to come back," Kei yawns.

"I am too."

There's still a lot to do, but the way things are now is hardly bad.

They do have each other and that has to be a good thing.


End file.
